Bank of America® issues two co-branded cards with the National Education Association, a union for educators: the NEA RateSmart card and the NEA Customized Cash Rewards card. Only NEA members are eligible to apply for both cards.
A sign-up bonus on both cards makes them solid choices for NEA members, and especially those who want a break from interest on purchases, balance transfers or both. Both NEA cards have some of the longest intro APR periods among credit cards today.
Here are five things to know about the NEA credit cards from Bank of America®.
1. There are two NEA credit cards
One of the cards is the NEA RateSmart Credit Card, and it’s a balance transfer and 0% intro APR card.
The other, the NEA Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, is a cash-back card similar to the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.
The NEA Customized Cash earns:
- 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores, or home improvement and furnishings. The category may be changed every month.
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
- 1% cash back on all other qualifying purchases.
Cash back earned from the 3% and 2% categories is capped at $2,500 in combined spending per quarter. Purchases that exceed the cap earn 1%.
Earned rewards do not expire and may be redeemed for a statement credit, check, direct deposit into a Bank of America® checking or savings account, or credit to a qualifying Merrill Cash Management account or Merrill 529 account.
2. An NEA membership is required
Applicants must be a member of the National Education Association to apply for either of the NEA credit cards. The following professionals qualify to join:
- Teachers.
- Faculty members.
- Counselors.
- Librarians.
- Nurses.
- Administrators.
- Support staff.
- Aspiring educators enrolled in a postsecondary program in preparation for employment in one of the above categories.
- Retired professionals.
There are various categories of membership, each with a different cost. As an example, for full-time active professionals dues are $213.
If you’re not interested in paying dues, though, you can still get value from other similar credit cards that don't require a membership.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers the exact same rewards as the NEA Customized Cash Rewards credit card, minus the membership requirement. It also offers a sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
If you prefer a card without spending caps, consider the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. It earns 3% back on dining, eligible streaming services, grocery stores and entertainment. It also offers 5% back on hotels, car rentals and vacation rentals booked through Capital One's Travel portal. New cardholders can earn a bonus: For a limited time, earn a one-time $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Another decent option is a credit card that earns a solid rewards rate on all spending. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash back on eligible purchases, and it also offers a sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
3. Both cards feature good intro APRs
The intro APRs from the NEA Customized Cash and RateSmart credit cards are among the most competitive in today’s market. As of this writing, Customized Cash cardholders get 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 statement closing dates following the opening of your account. With the RateSmart card, the 0% period for purchases and balance transfers as of this writing is for the first 18 statement closing dates following the opening of your account.
Two caveats regarding balance transfers apply to both NEA cards. One, the balance transfer must be made within 60 days of account opening to qualify for the 0% intro APR. Also, you can’t transfer a Bank of America®-issued debt to either NEA credit card. Loan balances from other lenders including credit cards, personal loans, student loans, auto loans or home equity loans are allowed.
» SEE: Best balance transfer cards and best 0% APR credit cards
🤓 Nerdy Tip
All Bank of America® cards, including the NEA Customized Cash and RateSmart cards, participate in the Museums on Us program that gives Bank of America® cardholders free admission to hundreds of museums on the first full weekend of every month. Only the cardholder receives free admission, though. 4. Fees are identical on both cards
Both NEA credit cards have a $0 annual fee and an introductory 3% balance transfer fee of the amount of each transaction for transactions made within 60 days of opening the account. After that, the fee will be 4% of the amount of each transaction.
Neither card charges a penalty APR either, meaning Bank of America® won’t automatically raise your interest rate if you pay late.
5. You may be eligible for a sign-up bonus
As of this writing, the sign-up bonus on the NEA Customized Cash card was a $200 Amazon gift card after spending at least $500 within the first 90 days of account opening. The fact that the bonus is issued as a gift card rather than cash may be slightly limiting.
The RateSmart card doesn't appear to have a sign-up bonus as of this writing. It's not uncommon for a credit card that offers a long 0% introductory APR on balance transfers to not provide other incentives.
